Alan Partridge was an early character in Channel 4

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

 soap Brookside

Brookside

Brookside is a defunct British soap opera set in Liverpool, England. The series began on the launch night of Channel 4 on 2 November 1982, and ran for 21 years until 4 November 2003...

. He was portrayed by Dicken Ashworth

Dicken Ashworth

Dicken Ashworth is an English actor who has made several appearances in film and television.His film credits include: Force 10 from Navarone, Tess, Krull, and Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.On television, can be a regular cast member in several soap operas - playing Alan Partridge...

 from 1983 until 1984. He was the first resident to live at No. 6 (the bungalow).

Background

Alan was introduced as a computer expert, which represented for producer Phil Redmond

Phil Redmond

Phil Redmond CBE is an English television producer and screenwriter.He is well-known for creating several popular television series such as Grange Hill , Brookside and Hollyoaks...

 the 'micro-electronic technical revolution' of the early 1980s. At the time he moved in he had a long-term partner, Samantha (Sam) who lived elsewhere.

Introduction

Alan turned up on the close on the 5th of April 1983, one day before he moves in and measures the outside of his house by striding around much the ammusement of neighbours Paul

Paul Collins (Brookside)

Paul Collins was a character in Brookside played by Jim Wiggins between 1982 and 1990.-The Collins family:The Collins family moved into Brookside Close during the first episode, having bought Number 8...

, Annabelle, Roger and Petra

Petra Taylor

Petra Taylor is a fictional character portrayed by Alexandra Pigg in the soap Brookside from 1982 until 1983.-Background:...

.

Relationships

While other families in Brookside were bringing more socially-observant stories regarding employment, trade-unionism, the black market and other issues of the Zeitgeist, the stories involving Alan principally related to his love-life. After moving onto Brookside Close, he asked his partner Sam to marry him; while she refused his offer, she did agree to live with him.

Later Sam asked Alan to marry her; however, when the day came, she jilted him and left for Los Angeles

Los Ángeles

Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...

. Alan then got together with his former partner Liz. After Alan got into trouble for plagiarism after helping Gordon Collins

Gordon Collins (Brookside)

Gordon Collins is a character in Channel 4 soap-opera Brookside, he appeared in it from the first episode in 1982 until 1990. He was portrayed by Nigel Cowley in earlier episodes and later on by Mark Burgess...

 sell one of his computer programmes, he realised Liz was behind it and threw her out. In revenge for this, Liz arranged for Alan to be attacked and he was viscously assaulted.

When Sam returned from Los Angeles, she and Alan got back together. They married on 17 July 1984, being the first 'Brookside wedding' nearly two years into the soap.

After marrying, they left and moved to Kuwait

Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...

.